1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to digital communications; and more particularly to preamble processing in a digital communication system.
2. Background of the Invention
The structure and operation of communication systems is generally known. Many communication systems carry data, e.g., voice, audio, video, file, or other digital data that is sent from a transmitter to a receiver. On the transmitter side, data is first formed into packets. This data may be raw data or encoded data that represents the raw data. Each of these packets also typically includes a header, a known training sequence generally referred to as the “preamble”, and a tail. These packets are then modulated into symbols and the symbols are transmitted by the receiver and intended for receipt by the receiver. The receiver then receives the symbols and attempt to extract the data from the packets that are carried by the symbols.
A “channel” carries the symbols from the transmitter to the receiver. A wired, wireless, optical, or another media, depending upon the communication system type, services the channel. In many communication systems, such as terrestrial based wireless communication systems, satellite based communication systems, cable based communication systems, etc., the channel distorts the transmitted symbols, from the perspective of the receiver, causing interference between a subject symbol and a plurality of symbols surrounding the subject symbol. This type of distortion is referred to as “inter-symbol-interference” and is, generally speaking, the time-dispersed receipt of multiple copies the symbols caused by multipath. The channel also introduces noise, e.g., impulse (burst) noise, into the symbols prior to their receipt. Each of these concepts is well known.
In many communications systems, a preamble sequence is used to estimate channel parameters such as carrier frequency and phase offsets, and channel gain. The channel estimate may also be used for equalizer training. In many cases, the received preamble symbols are distorted by the impulse (burst) noise. Although the burst noise might distort a limited number of preamble symbols, it might be strong enough such that preamble processing is degraded, which causes the communication system to lose lock (or synchronization). Degradation of preamble processing may lead to system crashes in the case of continuous transmission systems, and packet losses and reduction in the overall system capacity for packet transmission systems.
Thus there is a need in the art for improved preamble processing.